Swing joint



March 9, 1937. w. F. SCHAETZLY SWING JOINT Filed March 9,. 1936 2 Sheets-$heet 1 wasmmk abfm new March 9, 1937. w. F. SCHAETZLY SWING JOINT Filed March 9, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 111 umlfoz Patented Mar. 9, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SWING JOINT Kentucky Application March 9,

8 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved swing joint construction particularly well adapted to the handling of gasoline under high pressures, as for example in the loading of tank cars or trucks from a reservoir. It will be understood,

however, as the description proceeds that the invention is in no way limited to this exact usage, but on the contrary is equally well adapted for handling any liquid or gas wherein the same is to be forced under pressure through a movable connection.

Many difficulties have been encountered in the past when attempts have been made to convey liquids under high pressure through movable joints. The kinetic energy of the moving liquid,

the changes in direction of its flow and the necessity for adequately packing the joints to Withstand high pressures in addition to the loosening due to mechanical movement of the joints have increased the difiiculty in providing a satisfactory construction. This invention is directed toward the solution of these various problems and has as its chief object the provision of a swing joint adapted for conveying liquids or gases under high pressures; a second object is the provision of a swing joint in which the fluid pressure is equalized laterally;

Another object is the provision of a joint in which the parts are held in proper alignment in Sal any position in which they may be placed;

Another object is the provision of a swing joint wherein the outlet pipe may be moved through a maximum arc and may be counter balanced for ease in movement; I

Another object is the provision of a swing joint which may be easily assembled or serviced and which is inexpensive to produce and reliable in operation;

Other objects and advantages of the invention 4:) will become apparent as the description proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which,

Figure l is an elevation view showing the general assembly;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Figure l and Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of Figure 2.

One arrangement of the invention is depicted 50 in Figure 1 and shows a stationary pipe I leading to any source of liquid or gas under pressure.

Communicating with stationary pipe I is a bifurcated pipe 3 seating in a joint 2 and adapted to revolve in a horizontal plane. The joint 2 is of 55 any conventional construction and i exact 1936, Serial No. 67,800

structure of the same forms no part of this invention. Pipe 3 at its lower end is of substantially the same diameter as pipe I and branches into two smaller pipes 4 near its upper end. Cast integrally with the small pipes 4 are two oppositely disposed housings 5 the purpose of which will later become apparent. The combined cross sectional areas of the two pipes 4 is preferably not less than the cross sectional area of pipe 3 and may be substantially larger depending upon the medium being handled and the final pressures desired. The cross sectional area of each pipe 4 is preferably substantially equal in order to effect a balancing of pressures within the swing joint as will be more fully explained hereinafter.

Pivotally supported within the yoke formed by the two branches of the bifurcated pipe 3 is a movable outlet pipe 6. A collar or boss 1 formed on this outlet pipe provides a point of attachment for strong straps or levers 8 adapted to support counter balances 9. An elongated pipe l0 attached to outlet pipe 6 leads to the point of storage of the medium being forced through the swing joint. Since pipe l0 may be of the conventional telescopic or extensible type and may carry valves and other accessories, it is obvious that it will exert considerable leverage tending to turn pipe 6 about its pivot in housings 5. In order to balance this weight and to enable the operator to handle the apparatus effectively the counter balances 9 become necessary. Since counter balances 9 are of appreciable weight, the invention provides a secure means of making the counter balances effective and as shown, the straps 8 are securely anchored on collar 1 by means of bolts H and on the removable caps 30 of housings 5 by means of bolts l2. In this way, counter balances 9 act about bolts 12 as a fulcrum and provide a leverage offsetting the weight of pipe 6 and its attached connections.

The housings 5 formed at the upper extremities of bifurcated pipe 3 are oppositely disposed and are cast with openings at the inside and outside of the yoke. Adjacent the opening at the inside of the yoke is a machined bearing seat l6 integrally formed with the housing and providing a seat for a connecting pipe I! having a bearing surface !8 on head l9 cooperating with the bearing seat l6. Connecting pipes ll are insertable through the open outer end of housings 5 and may be screwed into the flattened surface of pipe 6 by means of threads 20. When properly assembled the connecting pipes will hold pipe 6 at the center of the yoke and will rest with bearing surfaces l8 securely in contact with bearing near-the center of the yoke.

seats Hi. In this way the pipe 6 may be pivoted on such bearing surfaces and may be rotated about those bearings as a center.

Since the invention is to be used in the handling of various mediums under high pressure, a suitable packing material 2| is placed between the housings 5 and rotatable connecting pipes IT. This packing is preferably placed on the outside of bearing seat l6 and is forced into packing relation by means of an adjustable gland 22. In order to make the gland readily adjustable the exterior adjusting means herein shown may be applied although it will be obvious that other arrangements may be devised-toserve this purpose. As shown, a pair of outstanding ears 23 are formed integral with the housing 5 and a second pair of outstanding ears 24 are formed integral with the g1and22. Connecting these pairs of ears is an adjustable bolt means 25 which may screw into adjustable gland 22'and draw it toward housing 5 with the desired amount of force. Since the end of gland 22 pushes against packing 21 the joint may thus be packed to withstand the pressure of the medium even though a relative motion takes place between pipe IT and housing 5.

At the outer ends of housings 5 a removable cap 30 having a hexagonal head 3| is provided for the purpose of closing the housing after the pipe I T has been inserted and adjusted into position. Cap 30- also serves as a fulcrum point for lever 8 supporting the counter balance 9 and-as shown, a strong bolt l2 about which lever 8 mayturn is screwedinto cap 30 and provides a secure'pi-vot' point.

As will be. apparent from the foregoing description a well balanced swing joint is provided. The fiuid or gas entering from pipe 1 moves into the lower end of pipe 3 where it is dividedinto two streams of substantially equal size and force. These streams follow the smooth curves'of the yoke and enter housings 5 where a certain pressure isformed. This pressure acting upon the exposedheads IQ of connecting pipes I! force such pipes with their bearing surfaces IB into secure contact with hearing seats [6-, but since thepressure is substantially equal on each of the connecting pipes IT no unbalanced stress is placed upon the bifurcated pipe 3 and its integral parts. The pressure medium then passes through connecting pipe I! into pipe 6 and is conducted tothe point of delivery.

Since the swing joint may beused-in widely varying circumstances, it is desirable to provide an outlet pipe which may swing through a wide vertical arc. Moreover, due to wear on bearing surfaces and the hard usage to which the apparatus may be put, it has been found desirable to provide an additional securing means for the outlet pipeas it swings through its vertical movement; In the present invention this problem is solved by the provision of a shoulder 33' formed at the end of pipe 5 and cooperating with a slot 34- machined into bifurcated pipe 3 By means of this construction the outlet pipe may be maintained in' its proper lateral position with respect to housings 5 in any position to which it may be moved. Furthermore, this; construction enables the designer to provide a balanced swing joint with an outlet pipe which may be moved through a maximum vertical arc, which for all practical purposes may be considered 340 degrees or less. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that should an arc of travel for the outlet pipe be desired which is greater than that possible with the structure disclosed in Figure 3, it would merely require that the shoulder 33 be extended further upon the radius shown and that the ends of slot 34 be cut away the desired amount or that the center line of the pivoting connecting pipes ll be raised. 7

While the bifurcated pipe 3 has been described as an inlet pipe and the pipe 6 has been described as an outlet pipe, it will be obvious that their respective functions may be changed and that the medium may efficiently be drawn in through pipe 6 and discharged through pipe 3 without departing from the scope of the invention.

Having thus disclosed the invention it is apparent that various changes in design and modifications in structure may be effected without departing from the teaching of the same.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a bifurcated inlet pipe adapted to rotate in a horizontal plane, an outlet pipe'com-municating with said bifurcated pipe and. adapted to rotate in a vertical plane, a plurality of connecting pipes serving to pivot the outlet pipe in the bifurcated pipe and to establish a plurality of flow passages between the respective pipes, a centering slot positioned adjacent the center of the yoke of said bifurcated pipe, and a projection on the outlet pipe engaging within said slot whereby the outlet pipe may be turned freely in its vertical plane and at the same time the respective pipes may be maintained in proper transverse.

alignment in all positions of the same.

2. A swing joint for conveying a medium under high pressure and comprising in combination, a bifurcated inlet pipe forming a yoke, an outlet pipe insertable within the yoke, a plurality of connecting pipes rotatably journalled in the yoke and rigidly connecting to the outlet pipe, externalpacking means interposed between the yoke member and the connecting pipes and external packing glands adapted to be adjusted longitudinally of the connecting pipes whereby the packing means may be compressed against the yoke member and serve to prevent leakage of the medium under pressure.

3. A swing joint for conveying a medium under high pressure and comprising in combination, a bifurcated inlet pipe forming a yoke and terminating in a pair of oppositely disposed hous ings. of substantially equal size, integral bearing seats internally disposed in said housings, an outlet pipe disposed within the yoke, connecting pipes interposed between the housings and the outlet pipe and securely attached to said outlet pipe and pivotally journalling the same in the yoke, said connecting pipes having external bearing surfaces cooperating with the internal bearing seats on the housings and external packing means interposed between the yoke and the connecting pipes whereby the pressure of the medium passing through the joint will force the bearing surfaces of the oppositely disposed connecting pipes against the said bearing seats in cooperation with the external packing means and will balance the thrust of the moving medium entering the pivoted outlet pipe.

4. A swing joint for conveying a medium under high pressure and comprising in combination, a bifurcated inlet pipe forming a yoke and terminating. in a pair of oppositely disposed housings of substantially equal size, integral bearing seats internally disposed in said housings, an outlet pipe disposed within the yoke and,

adapted to rotate in a vertical plane, connecting pipes interposed between the housings and the outlet pipe and securely attached to said pipe and pivotally journalling the same in the yoke, said connecting pipes having external bearing surfaces cooperating with the internal bearing seats in the housings to eiiect a balancing of the thrust of the moving medium entering the pivoted outlet pipe, a centering slot positioned adjacent the center of the yoke of said bifurcated pipe and a projection on the outlet pipe engaging within said slot whereby the outlet pipe may be moved freely in a vertical plane and at the same time the respective elements may be maintained in their proper relative transverse positions during the rotation of the outlet pipe.

5. In a structure of the character described in claim 1, a counter weight means adapted to counter balance the weight of the outlet pipe, means securing the counter weight means to said outlet pipe, and means forming a fulcrum for said counter weight means on said inlet pipe whereby the outlet pipe may be moved easily in a vertical plane and may be held securely in a desired position during various operating stages.

6. In a structure of the character described in claim 2, a counter weight means adapted to counter balance the weight of the outlet pipe, means securing the counter weight means to said outlet pipe, and means forming a fulcrum for said counter weight means on said inlet pipe whereby the outlet pipe may be moved easily in a vertical plane and may be held securely in a desired position during various operating stages.

'7. In a structure of the character described in claim 3, a counter weight means adapted to counter balance the weight of the outlet pipe, means securing the counter weight means to said outlet pipe, and means forming a fulcrum for said counter weight means on said inlet pipe whereby the outlet pipe may be moved easily in a vertical plane and may be held securely in a desired position during various operating stages.

8. In a structure of the character described in claim 4, a counter weight means adapted to counter balance the weight of the outlet pipe, means securing the counter weight means to'said outlet pipe, and means forming a fulcrum for said counter weight means on said inlet pipe whereby the outlet pipe may be moved easily in a vertical plane and may be held securely in a desired position during various operating stages.

WILLIAM F. SCHAETZLY. 

